Ornament and frame therefor



Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to ornamental devices of the metal type and is herein disclosed in the form of a monogram assemblage, although it is not so limited.

Objects of the invention include the provision of an improved organization of this kind in which the constituent elements are of relatively simple formation, easy to construct and particularly easy to assemble, so that a merchant, jeweler or clerk, may readily select any desired combination of initial letters, for a purchaser, and assemble these letters in a frame, using any ordinary tool, it being hereinafter seen that selected characters, when placed in position, may be securely locked in place by bending sheet metal 'holding members.

The assemblage selected for disclosure is suitable for use as a brooch or attachment for a garment, any well known attaching pin elements being used on the frame, but the device is also suitable for use in other forms, such as ornamental pins, one letter or character being sufiicient, and the attachment may likewise be used on various other articles, such as belts, hand bags, rings, cases and the like.

Instead of an opening being provided in a frame, for attaching a character or letter, such opening may be formed in an existing article, but a feature of the present opening is that it is provided on opposite boundaries thereof with retaining ribs. Since the ribs are to a certain extent extended backwardly it is an advantage to provide front seats in association therewith, the seats being for receiving and supporting margins of a character, and it is disclosed, as in cross section, that this construction, while apparently large and expensive, is still relatively light and obtained witha minimum of structure to secure yet other objects of the invention.

A feature of each of said ribs is a longitudinal angular edge, and each character is provided with bendable attaching members or legs, which are constructed of sheet metal, without springing capability. On insertion of a character in the Opening, the inner portions of the ribs engage against the bases of the legs, then the legs are bent over said angular edges, and outwardly and downwardly or forwardly onto the outer parts of said ribs.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the front of an assemblage which includes a frame and characters fitted therein.

Fig. 2 is a partial back view of the asemblage of Fig. 1, some of the characters being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a back plan View of a character per se.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the character of Fig. 4. 5

Fig. 6 is a fragmental view of a character in which a slight variation of construction is involved; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of Fig. 6, taken on the line 11.

Referring in detail to said drawing, a frame I0 is provided with a rectangular opening, two sides or ends of which are bounded by like plain faces H. The other or longitudinal sides of the frame opening are bounded by top and bottom ribs, 15 which also form seats l2, I3, each alike and extending throughout the length of the frame, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Said ribs are formed with innermost angular edges [4, !5 (see also Fig. 2), and with backwardly projecting longitudinal portions having angular edges I6, ll, there being flat inclined faces !8, l9 between the respective pairs of edges. Faces 20, 2! extend outwardly from said backwardly projecting edges, and these latter faces are in- 25 clined forwardly. The faces 20, 2i terminate along lines 22, which are the innermost or deepest parts of back recesses as formed in the frame, and as these lines 22 are located outwardly of the outermost parts of the seats l2, I3 (see Figs. 2 30 and 3), this construction is relatively light, consistent with strength, as hereinbefore indicated.

As shown in the present instance, three char acters or letters 23, 24, 25, are fitted into the frame l0, and these characters, having their ends supported on the seats l2, l3, occupy the space between the plain Walls H. The characters selected are merely illustrative, and any other characters, letters or figures, may be used. In accordance with the present invention, a merchant 0 may stock frames having openings of different sizes, and it is a. feature of the instant characters that they may be clamped into position in any selected place on the seats I2, 13, with or without spaces therebetween. Particular sets of characters are of uniform height, and a single character in a frame of suitable size, especially as in the case of an ornamental pin, forms a complete device.

Each character is provided with two clamping members 26, 21, which are alike, and, as first constructed, project right angularly from the back of the character. In the assemblage, the edges l4, I5 of the frame are substantially close to the base portions 28, 29 of the attaching legs or clamps. From the right angular position, said legs are bent or moved into inclined position with the parts 28, 29 engaging against the inclined faces IS, IQ of the frame. Then the free ends 30,

3| of said legs are bent over the angular edges IS,

IT, and engaged flatwise on the inclined faces 20,

The width of the clamping members illustrated is suitable for the particular character portions shown, but this width may be varied to suit different occasions, it being understood that nar row clamping members may be used on a narrow character, such as I, and more than one clamping member 26 or 27, or narrower than these members, may be used on one of the ends of other characters, such as the letter M.

The legs 26, 21 may be metallically attached to a character or formed therewith, in any suitable manner, and in Figs. 6 and 7 is shown an attachment in which a character I25, like the char acter 25, is provided with a cut or groove 32. In the groove 32 is fitted one end of an attaching leg I21, the opposite sides of which are fused, as at 33, to the associated character.

Variations other than those illustrated may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and parts of the improvements may be used Without others.

What I claim is:

1. An assemblage of the character described comprising a frame with a rectangular opening therein and having backwardly projecting ribs on two opposite sides of the opening, said ribs providing front seats rearwardly of the adjoining front parts of the frame, an ornamental metal outwardly and forwardly in embracing relation with said ribs.

2. An ornamental assemblage constructed of metal and including a frame having therein a rectangular opening, said opening having on two opposite sides thereof ribs, the latter including inner edges, rearwardly projecting angular edges parallel with the first edges, and providing inclined faces therebetween, said ribs having also forwardly inclined faces extending from the angular edges, seats formed on the front sides of said ribs; at least one ornamental character having opposed ends supported on said seats, legs extending backwardly from said character closely against said inner edges, said legs having base portions engaged against the first mentioned inclined faces, and portions of said legs clampingly engaged against said forwardly inclined faces, the medial portions of said legs being tightly and holdingly engaged against said rearwardly projecting edges.

3. An article of jewelry comprising a permanent frame having ribs on opposite sides of an opening, each rib having a downward slope, an ornament or initial having at each of its ends a back upright leg, the legs being tightly engaged over the backs of the ribs, the ends of the legs being disposed downwardly and firmly against said slopes whereby to form a lock for permanently and securely holding the initial in place.

HENRY RUFEISEN. 

